


Fair Fight With An Equal

by Lilek



Series: Valhalla [2]
Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: Disability, M/M, Unresolved Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-02
Updated: 2017-11-02
Packaged: 2019-01-28 14:16:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12608476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilek/pseuds/Lilek
Summary: According to common knowledge Ragnar had spared the boy in the rush of love and mercy, but nothing in Ragnar's life had been a coincidence. Ubbe was convinced that the gods protected Ivar from the fate of so many crippled, disabeled children, and he openly admired his brother’s fierce determination.





	Fair Fight With An Equal

Ubbe grew up with a heavy burden on his shoulders. Because of Ragnar's absence he had to take care of his younger siblings, especially of crippled Ivar, a child born from pain, who has suffered terribly from disfigured limbs till mysterious Harbard relieved him from his torment. Queen Aslaug surrounded Ivar with her unconditional, overwhelming love, which deepened the negative relationship between the boy and his surroundings and also prevented her from noticing the disturbing traits of his character. From a very young age Ivar had a problem with controlling his anger and frustration, which resulted in the murder of an innocent boy. The aggression against others and humiliting them became Ivar’s way of fighting common mockery and prejudice against his creepy, quirky being.

"You have to protect him." Aslaug told Ubbe when Ivar was innocent, little boy, and she repeated that when Ivar furiously began dismiss support from his older brother.

"You have to make sure, that the others respect him" she reminded him almost every day with her disturbing, prophetic manner.

When Ubbe was sixteen, Björn began taking him and his brothers on numerous, adventerous trips, but there was no way of taking Ivar. Björn  was convinced that " the cripple" was only a burden, and had no chance of surviving a merciless battle with the enemy. Months apart from each other weakened the bond between brothers, but also strengthed the boy's relationship with Floki and Helga. Carpenter was building a sense of self-worth in Ivar and worked on deepening his connection with the gods, convinced that there was some major purpose in bringing him to the world, demaged and angry.

Ubbe believed it deeply. According to common knowledge Ragnar had spared the boy in the rush of love and mercy, but nothing in Ragnar's life had been a coincidence. Ubbe was convinced that the gods protected Ivar from the fate of so many crippled, disabeled children, and he openly admired his brother’s fierce determination. Whenever he returned from a long expedition, rich in new experiences, he found his brother broader and stronger, with ravenblack hair and the expressive eyes of a maturing predator. He was no more a lean boy with a pair of useless legs, who looked at his older brother with admiration and devotion. Now there was only jealousy and aggression in his eyes, when he lay dawn on the shore and watched the approaching boats of his brothers.

instead of heading to the queen's seat, Ubbe parted from his brothers patting them on the shoulders, and went to the shore, where Ivar fiercely threw rocks into the water.

"You are angry ... again," he said standing behind his brother, who didn't even spare him a look. Ubbe ruffled Ivar's hair, but younger boy brushed off his hand.

„Go away.”

„I’ve just returned.”

"Too bad ... I haven't started to miss you yet," Ivar replied maliciously, but Ubbe sat beside him, glancing at his brother's angry profile, his wrinkled eyebrows and cracked lips. Ivar's cheeks were covered with small, sealed cuts, proved traces of his first stubble.

"You’ve grown broader.”

Ubbe squized Ivara's forearm, but boy furiously rejected his hand.

„Do not touch me!”

„Are you sure? Your face would only benefited from it. At least, I wouldn’t cut you while helping you to shave.”

"I don’t need shaving," Ivar said, rolling his eyes, but then he looked back at Ubbe's searching gaze. "Anyway, I prefer to massacre my face with a blunt dagger, than looking like another, pitiful copy of Ragnar Loothbroke.”

"I'm not a copy ...," Ubbe faked indignation. „I am even better than the original.”

„A great achievement, given that the original is probably dead.”

„Don’t say that.”

„Or what, Ubbe?” Ivar looked at his brother with a challenging glare. „Soon, you’ll be able to take the throne and announce yourself Ragnar the Second ... but first of all, you would have to push Bjorn overboard, because you could never defit him in fair battle.”

"What a nasty brat you are," Ubbe shook his head in disbelief, but there was also an amusement in his voice, which soon rubbed off on Ivar.

"Of course, I would understand, if you do not want to be a king, my dear brother. Your weakend mind and soft heart would not help you in  defending your range against powerful envies.”

„Speaking of jealousy, do you mean yourself?”

"Not at all ... I'm not powerful, am I?" Ivar admitted openly, biting his lips and clenching his fists. And all these gestures were noticed by Ubbe, who was silent for a moment, feeling pity for his brother's impotence.

„ I only have a soft heart for you, Ivar.”

"How many times should I remind you, I don't need your pity?!”

„It’s not pity, idiot!”

„Well, I don't need you brotherly love, either.”

„Ivar …” Ubbe clenched his fingers on his brother's shoulder once again.

„ I told you, do not touch me!”

„ How am I suppose not to touch you during close range combat?”

„Combat?” Ivar looked at Ubbe carefully, searching for threats and challenges in his face, but finding only the shadow of a smile and the promise of long-awaited training. "Are you serious?"

"Very serious"

"Without treating the cripple with kids gloves?"

„I promise you, the cripple will get his ass kicked properly."

Ivar laughed cheerfully, hiting his brother in the arm and making his way to the woods, before Ubbe managed to rise to his feet or had a Chance to catch up with him. Ivar settled down on the trunk and effortlessly aimed his arrow shots to dead deers' heads, sagging from the trees.

„Not bad,” Ubbe said honestly, impressed by his brother precision.

"Definitely better than you and the rest."

„I didn’t say that."

„You didn’t have to." Ivar smiled coyly. "I can see bright admiration in your eyes."

„Admiration is something to be earned” Ubbe whispered, leaning over his brother's sitting form.

"So I need a possibility to do that."

"Very well …" Ubbe frowned expectantly, handing one of the swords to Ivar and aiming for him in a sudden blow.

"You’re seriously not restraining yourself," Ivar admited through clenched teeth, feeling a strong tension in his muscles and shoulders, trying to resist the pressure of another iron blade.

"You talk too much," Ubbe said with a smile and attacked his brother with a few precise strikes, making it hard for Ivar to keep his balance on the wooden seat. When Ubbe was bored with going soft on his brother, he unexpectedly made a few quick steps to the side, stopping his blade on his brother’s neck. Ivar was furious.

"Damn you!"

"What? Did you expect the enemy will attack only from the front?" Ubbe whispered in his ear, but quickly lost upper hand, when Ivar's head hit him straight to the nose, causing massive bleeding." Fuck ...," he moaned slightly, but Ivar used his confusion to slide off his trunk and effectively tripped his brother's leg. Ubbe slammed to the ground, growled furiously, and jerked into action, but Ivara's body clung to him, keeping him in place. Satisfied look in bright blue eyes and blade on Ubbe’s artery proved Ivar’s temporary advantage.

"Did you expect the cripple to trip you?"

"If I was a real enemy, you would have been dead already," Ubbe meant his first critical move against Ivar.

"If you were a real enemy, you would neglect me the same as others and by that, you would give me the opportunity to retaliate."

„ Neglect you, Ivar? Never.”

„ Laugh as much as you like, but remember who has your precious life in his hands."

„You wouldn’t dare," Ubbe said with a smile, trying not to be afraid of his brother's rapturous gaze. Ivar's eyes were so close and they were mesmerizing like the eyes of the predator hunting for his prey.

„Are you sure of that?”

„You would miss me greatly.”

„Not at all,” Ivar smiled widely, when Ubbe sighed with resignation, blowing off some stray strand from Ivar’s forhead.

"Fine, you've won. Fair and square” Ubbe admitted finally, loosing all his self-assurance.

„In a fair fight with an equal. Now, repeat it …”

„Ivar The Boneless, you won in a fair fight with your equal."

"I definitely like you better, submissive and compliant."

"And I like you better sleeping and silent." Ubbe stated sharply, not hurrying too much to push Ivar's from his own body. The boy's happy face filled him with joy, especially after several long weeks of separation.

„So I was right about the admiration in your eyes. I can see it. Admiration and …," Ivar paused for a moment, staring at his brother's eyes and fresh blood on his face, which he licked spontaneously and loudly gasped. At that moment, Ubbe shoved him away and jumped to his feet, shocked by the sudden heat surrounding his belly.

"If you tell someone you broke my nose, you're dead."

„Don’t worry, brother” Ivar replied with a fake smile, hiding his own embarrassment and confusion. „The cripple won't say a word."

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe I'm the first one writing about these two ... shame! SHAME!
> 
> I hope I will inspire at least one, little fic with this ... something ...
> 
> I mean, come on ... just look at them ...


End file.
